Arsenal have made one of their worst starts to a Premier League campaign, losing seven matches so far and with this poor form, next up they take on Southampton on Wednesday.
The Gunners go into this match at the back of a 1-0 loss against Burnley and with the kind of form that the Saints are in right now, many pundits think Arteta’s men will drop points once again.
According to Michael Owen though, the Gunners should be able to avoid a defeat if they focus on picking up a point.
He wrote for BetVictor: “Where do we start with Arsenal? The Gunners have lost their last 4 home matches and failed to score in 6 of their last 8.
“If they were to suffer another defeat here, Mikael Arteta will be under serious pressure.
“Southampton’s form has been the opposite. They are flying and have looked very accomplished so far this season. Ralph Hasenhüttl has his side well drilled and will no doubt be relishing this fixture with the Saints in such good form.
“Arsenal simply must avoid defeat and although I am a big fan of Southampton, I think they may have to settle for a point in this one.”
Will Arsenal aim for a draw?
In theory, the Gunners fans will not be happy at the prospect of going into a match against Southampton with a mentality to pick up just one point.
But the kind of form they are in right now, damage limitation might be the best possible solution for Mikel Arteta.
Apart from the poor form, Arsenal will be without the likes of Bellerin, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka which could force Willian to slot into a midfield role. And hence with a such a makeshift starting XI, picking up a point will be nothing short of a decent achievement.
Arteta will undoubtedly pep up his side to secure three points but the manager will also have one eye on their frangible league position.
